Occasional thoughts and deeds of an Engineer
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  • Wordsmithing

    Posted on December 13th, 2010 cwmoore No comments
    The New Yorker, 25 July, 1994, Page 82
    SHOUTS AND MURMURS
    HOW I MET MY WIFE
    BY JACK WINTER
    [singlepic id=271 w=240 h=320 float=right]It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts to appear gruntled and consolate.  I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner.  She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array.  Her hair was kempt, her clothing shevelled, and she moved in a gainly way.  I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I’d have to make bones about it, since I was traveling cognito.  Beknownst to me, the hostess, whom I could see both hide and hair of, was very proper, so it would be skin off my nose if anything bad happened.  And even though I had only swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn’t be peccable.  Only toward and heard-of behavior would do.  Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause was evitable.  There were two ways about it, but the chances that someone as flappable as I would be ept enough to become persona grata or sung hero were slim.  I was, after all, something to sneeze at, someone you could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled passion.  So I decided not to rush it. But then, all at once, for some apparent reason, she looked in my direction and smiled in a way that I could make heads or tails of.  So, after a terminable delay, I acted with mitigated gall and made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.  Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to prepare a promptu speech, I was petuous.  She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savory character who was up to some good.  She told me who she was.  “What a perfect nomer,” I said, advertently.  The conversation became more and more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail.  But I was defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour.  I asked if she wanted to come with me.  To my delight, she was committal.  We left the party together and have been together ever since.  I have given her my love, and she has requited it.
  • Walmart & Plowing the drive

    Posted on December 13th, 2010 cwmoore No comments

    I just got in from plowing the drive with the snow blower.  The strong NW wind lets me just throw the snow to the East.  There was a lot of ice below the top snow coat so it will take some time for the process of sublimation to occur.  The sun is bright and the temperature is 19ºF.  It was good to be out but I started sweating about half way through the 4000 ft² drive as I was lifting the snowblower handle constantly to try and scrape the ice off.

    I need to get to the store(s) to get a few Christmas presents.  The list is pretty short this year and we have been tightening the belt a bit with the reduced retirement income.  I like retirement but I also like to buy also.  In this community there are two jobs – Walmart and Trine University.  The rich people work at Trine and the rest of the people work at Walmart.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Walmart (and Meijers and Menards) because they are my main source of entertainment other than church and Internet.  I also know if I ever need a real job, I can always go to Walmart so I never say anything bad about them.  I better go eat the lunch so I can go buy some gas at Walmart, my one stop shop.